One injured as US troops fire at protestors

CHARIKAR (PAN): US troops have shot injured a man and detained five others during a protest against the alleged burning of the Quran at the Bagram Airbase in central Parwan province.

“Late on Monday, foreign soldiers burnt a few copies of the holy book along with garbage on the airfield,” an Afghan worker on the base, told Pajhwok Afghan News.

Afghans working on the base, condemning the act, entered a physical fight with the US troops, Sameer said. Five workers were detained, he added.

The workers later informed local officials and residents, who gathered in front of the base to protest the alleged desecration, Sameer said.

The crowd swelled to more than 1,000 people who burned tyres near the base and a checkpoint. US soldiers opened fire on them, injuring one protestor, police officer Abdul Hafiz Motawakil said.

After the firing incident, the protesters started hurling stones at the base and chanting slogans against the US troops, he added.

Tribal elders, representatives of demonstrators and local officials later held a meeting with the 303rd Pamir police zone commander, Gen. Baba Jan, to discuss the issue.

Meanwhile, hundreds of people staged another protest in the Pul-i-Charkh area on the eastern outskirts of Kabul city against the Quran’s desecration. The protests called for the immediate withdrawal of foreign troops from the country.

They also demanded an investigation into the burning incident and serious punishment for the perpetrators.